The Jewish Week, an independent community newspaper, is recognized widely as the largest and most respected Jewish newspaper in America.

Reporters Julie Wiener and Hella Winston document millions of dollars of federal assistance for technology and internet services to schools, including local yeshivas, which expressly forbid students from using the internet.

Jody Fox asks “What has the board done to enhance or at least maintain the educational process for the public school student?” in his excellent letter to the editor of the Journal News

4) Message from the editor

We are getting ready to go into another budget season.

Once again there are a series of very severe cuts being considered.

But this year is different from previous years in several ways:

Instead of drawing from reserves, the district will be paying off two years of deficit spending.

Plans are being discussed which would knowingly violate state regulations to achieve budget goals.

For the first time, the administration admits that spending on students who attend non-public schools is driving cuts to students who attend public schools.

The Board is already on notice from the Commissioner of Education regarding their actions, including the illegal, unreported deficits over the past two years, the debt to BOCES, and illegal special education placements.

Even if the board enacts all the cuts they have considered, it is doubtful they will be able to get out of the hole they have dug over the last 5 years. The impact on students could be catastrophic, decreasing already low graduation rate and handicapping college opportunities.

Will Governor Cuomo, Commissioner King, and the NY State Assembly and Senate leadership be able to sit idly by while thousands of students are deprived of their right to an education?

Their action, or inaction, regarding East Ramapo will certainly be a prominent part of their record as time goes by.

Your action is also important in this struggle. Please join us on March 30th to support Advocates for Justice, which has filed a class action civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the public school students and taxpayers.

If you are unable to make it, please consider making a donation. Go to www.poweroften.us and click “I want to support the class action lawsuit”. – Steven White, editor

Governor Cuomo was in a part of the East Ramapo School District on Tuesday, giving a speech recapping his State of the State address.

A number of East Ramapo parents, denied attendance at the event, stood outside with a banner reading “Save Our Schools”.

Reporters managed to get in a few questions, including one about East Ramapo.

His response – “They are under the state Education Department, which has great management and they’re looking at it and I’m sure they will do the right and proper thing,” puts the burden of correcting the situation squarely on the shoulders of State Education Commissioner King.

Rockland County Legislator Joseph Meyers will honor two former members of the East Ramapo Central School District Board of Education, Stephen Price and Susan Young-Mercer, for their many years of service to the school district and the community in a ceremony that will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19th in the Legislature’s chambers at 11 New Hempstead Rd., New City, NY. There will also be a musical performance by East Ramapo student musicians. Both the ceremony and the meeting are open to the public.

When: Tuesday, February 19 at 6:30 PM

Where: 11 New Hempstead Rd, New City

3) NY State gives East Ramapo yet another warning to clean up their act:

The NY State Dept of Education has found the district in violation of Federal and State law regarding special education placements multiple times over the past 3 years.

According to an interview in the Journal News, a school official says the “private school community” has not “felt comfortable” with placing the students in public school. It should be noted that many district parents who use private schools are not included in the group that school officials routinely call the “private school community” and do feel perfectly comfortable with having their children attend integrated schools. A public school official, whose salary is paid completely by public school dollars, is certainly not the appropriate person to be a a spokesperson for the “private school community”. Every public servant should be aware that when some people say “uncomfortable” what they mean is they want to receive a privilege based on their race, religion or ethnicity. It is the public servant’s duty to be a spokesperson for the civil rights of all.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired of the destruction of our schools – do something! Contribute to Advocates for Justice, the public interest, non-profit law firm which has filed a class action, civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the parents, students, and taxpayers. Go to www.poweroften.us and click “I want to support the class action lawsuit”. – Steven White